


Cocky Smirks and Hollowed Eyes

by Hantastic



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, Ellaria's POV, F/M, One Shot, this is how I cope with grief apparently
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-02
Updated: 2014-06-02
Packaged: 2018-02-03 03:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1729844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hantastic/pseuds/Hantastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ellaria and Oberyn before the big fight...and after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cocky Smirks and Hollowed Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This contains spoilers for Season 4 Episode 8. I completed this in about an hour straight after I saw the episode so apologises for errors. Also I haven't read the books I'm afraid so if some of it isn't canon that may be why.

“Why must you fight for him when he’d never do the same for you?” I spat; the rage that had been broiling within me for days finally spilling over. “Putting your life at risk – for a _Lannister!”_

The title soured my tongue like wine left too long in the sun.

Warm, familiar hands held my arms still before I realised I’d been swinging them, uncontrollable in my sickened fear.

“I’m not doing it for him.” The familiarly accented tone hummed like the strings of a cello. “I’m doing it for Elia.”

I couldn’t look at him, turning my face to the stone rather than to look at the steely resolve I knew lined in his features.

“She would not have wanted this.” I tried, knowing reasoning was futile once my love’s mind was made up but unwilling to yield all the same. “She wouldn’t want you to throw away your life like-”

Two callused fingers tilted my head upwards to meet his eyes, glistening obsidian in the candlelight. My mind was cast back to the first time I saw them – thinking how the colour was so fitting to his nature. Dragon glass for fiery lust and fury.

His lips twitched upwards into a knowing smirk. “Do you truly have so little faith in my abilities, Ellaria? How many men have you witnessed me slaughter in combat without a scratch upon my person?”

My mouth curved to match his but it was bitterly tainted.

 _“That is no man.”_ I sneered. “Those things I’ve heard, things you yourself have described – _that_ is the work of no _man._ It is the work of a _monster_.”

Oberyn raised his brows, smirk unrelenting. He was closer now; I could smell the wine on his breath, the sweat on his skin, the underlying spicy musk that followed his person even since the day we met. His breath tickled the hollow of my ear and I fought back a gasp.

“And what is it that we do with monsters, my love?” he nibbled lightly at the lobe and I felt myself soften under the ministrations.

“I hate it when you do that.” I said, refusing to answer but dissatisfied at how breathy I sounded.

“Do what, my love?” He began to mouth at my neck – deft tongue trailing the lines of my throat.

“Try to get out of an argument by fucking me until I forget what we were arguing about in the first place.”

His answering chuckle was warm with amusement.

“You’ve never complained about my methods of persuasion before.”

I pushed him back gently so he could meet my gaze. I wanted him to see the unfamiliar fear in my eyes. Unshielded. Unhidden. I wanted him to see it and know that however strong and brash I may appear in public, the sickening dread clinging to my heart was all too real.

His coy expression faltered, shock registering briefly in his features and genuine confusion clouding his eyes.

“Why is it that you are so frightened Ellaria?” His soothing stroking of my arms did little to vanquish my fears. “Not once have you acted this way in the past.” He shook me gently, as if willing the fear to be rout from my person.

“You are so brave and fierce – the most beautiful and formidable creature I’ve ever encountered.” His eyes searched my own and I bit back the tears that threatened to spill forth.

“I love you more than you can ever imagine.”

The conviction of his tone tipped me over the edge, and an involuntary sob escaping my throat.

His hands clutched my shoulders, eyes panicked by this unfamiliar display on my part. In all the years I’d known him, I supposed this was the first time he’d seen me cry...and that must terrify him.

And yet still he continued.

“I loved you since the first day I saw you – in the market stall when your father slapped you and the anger that consumed me was unlike that I’d ever experienced all eleven years of my life. A young girl, so lovely and soft to be struck in such a way made me sick with rage. Do you remember what I did that day Ellaria?”

I laughed despite the tears still streaking down my face.

“You threatened him with a chicken bone – the nearest ‘weapon’ in sight.”

At my laughter, however broken, he smiled.

“Aye, that I did and I never forgot my sword on an outing again.”

I stroked his face, cupping his cheek with my hand.

“You received quite the lecture from your mother,” I sniffed, remembering it fondly. “It’s not every day you attack a man five times your size with a chicken bone.”

His hands tugged my slim hips so I was tucked against him once more.

“I can be quite creative when I want to be.” He smirked, pecking my lips. “Your father didn’t know what hit him.”

I kissed him back.

“Cockiness will get you killed one day.” I whispered, softly against his chin.

His forehead rested on my own.

“Tomorrow will not be that day.” He vowed.

I closed my eyes, tucking my head against his collarbone, caressing circles over his bare chest with my hand.

 _“Don’t leave me alone in this World.”_ I breathed, so quietly I thought he had not heard.

I felt my chin tilted once more.

 _“Never.”_ The passionate kiss that followed almost allowed me to believe it was true.

* * *

 

_“You could at least wear a helmet.”_

The Imp’s parting words thrummed through my skull as screams tore at my throat; hands involuntarily clawing at my face as the awful _crack_ resonated across the arena. Sand and blood mixed as one pulping mess but I could barely see past the reality that the boy with the chicken bone had not lived to fight another day.

_“Don’t leave me alone in this World.”_

_“Never.”_

My love’s words rang true. Now I’ll never be alone.

Cocky smirks and hollowed eyes will plague my existence for all of eternity.


End file.
